Gamera, Guardian of Equestria
by uruturamanzenith
Summary: An ancient evil has been resurrected, and the only thing standing between Equestria and extinction is something equally old, powerful, and has a hunger for flames.
1. Prologue

Gamera; Guardian of Equestria

Prologue

The dimly lit caverns barely lit up the passage down into the bowels of the earth. The cloaked figure raced hurriedly down, ignoring the rocks and pebbles in the way that almost caused him to lose balance more than once. He had waited for too long for this moment, and now he had found the resting place of the thing that will grant him glory everlasting. All those months waiting and researching in the libraries of the world had finally paid off when he found a passage about an ancient cave said to hold the power of peace or destruction. He knew it to be only one thing when he saw the characters drawn on the aged parchments. Following the directions, he made his way to a remote part of the world and found the entrance, but only after he paid the guides a substantial amount, for even the natives believed the land to be cursed. Not taking his bribe, he made his way alone, despite their pleas. The tunnel ended abruptly and he came to a large cavern. Dagger-like stalactites hung from the ceiling as he slowed his pace and walked to the wall at the end of the cave. It was painted like a large mural, having different characters and symbols all about it. The symbols were from a dead language that hasn't been spoken in centuries, and the characters were exactly like those from the book; four shapes, looking like great beings, circled one another. One was like a cross between a bird and a bat, another was like an insect, and a third was like a phoenix. They circled around a group of characters, while beneath them was the fourth; a turtle, or something akin to a turtle, was raising itself towards the other three. The figure smiled under his hood and let the satchel drop from his shoulder and to the cave floor. From under his hood a black horn protruded and glowed darkly. The satchel opened with the same colored aura and two objects lifted from the bag. One was bright red in color, looking like a spherical ruby the size of a rock, and the other a precious topaz. The stones were lifted towards one of the slots underneath the painting and placed there gently. When that was done, the ground vibrated softly, then shook, then trembled to where even the rocks on the ground seemed to dance. All the while, the figure laughed maniacally, his mad peals of glee ringing throughout the cavern.

In another part of the World: The jungle shook and trembled, trees falling and their inhabitants screeching in fear as they either jumped or flew to safety. As the trunks fell, the ground split open and fell away as a great cavern laid itself open to the outside world. One of the monkeys that had lost his home inched closer to the edge and fell into the dark void. After shaking his head, he looked and saw several oval-shaped white things. As he crept closer, he saw one of them tremble and then a crack formed. From the edge, the other monkeys looked to see where their comrade fell, but all they heard was an excited hooting, then a fear filled screech and silence, followed by a blood curdling scream that sent every moving thing for miles on the run.

Bottom of the Ocean: The sea floor shook, and then cracked open as magma seeped from the vent and danced upward. However, something else from the vent escaped. A small, almost insignificant object about the size of a tortoise egg floated upwards, red hot from the magma but slowly cooling. It made its way upwards and towards the nearest shore it could find. On the surface, various gulls saw the little thing and swooped down, hoping it to be a morsel, and nearly broke their beaks in the process. Leaving the thing alone, the object floated unmolested towards a small island near Manehattan, Equestria.


	2. Toto

Gamera; Guardian of Equestria

Toto

Having worked hard rebuilding done to Ponyville after Tirek tried to take over Equestria, the Mane Six decided to take a vacation for a little while. And what better place than sunny Manehattan? Rarity, the white unicorn with the diamond Cutie Mark, was sunbathing with Rainbow Dash, the blue Pegasus with a cloud and rainbow-colored lightning bolt Cutie Mark. Meanwhile, Apple Jack and Pinky Pie, the orange and pink Earth Ponies, were getting sno cones for the rest of the group. Twilight Sparkle, the lavender Alicorn and Princess of Friendship, was sitting at one of the picnic tables at the beach, doing what she loved; reading. Spike, her protégé baby dragon, cooled off in the shade and had a cool drink in claw. That left the only other of the group: Flutter Shy, the blonde Pegasus, trotted up the shore in hopes of finding a rare animal. She read that leatherback turtles sometimes come to this shore to lay their eggs, and she would love to get a glimpse of that special moment. As she trotted, she could see a small island just offshore, barely more than an outcropping of rocks with some meager plant life. However, she saw something it that made her pause. Hovering above the ground, she floated over to the island and looked at the small object. It looked like an egg, but it seemed to be made of stone. She tapped it with her hoof, making it roll gently on the small beach nestled between the rocks. She picked it up with her hoof and felt the warmth it gave, like an ember. No rock ever felt like this, she thought. But if it was an egg, then where was the parent? She looked this way and that, seeing no evidence of the mother. Did it just wash up on the shore? Whatever the case, she felt she could not just leave it here unprotected. Even the turtles, who leave their eggs just after laying them, bury them in the sand to incubate and protect them. However, having a heart of kindness, Flutter Shy decided it best that she take the egg with her. Opening her satchel, she placed the egg gently inside and floated back to the shore, the warmth of the egg reached her through the hide of the satchel.

Entering her room, she set the satchel down on the bed and let the egg roll out onto the covers. She took the egg and placed it on the pillows where the sun shone. She took some of the covers and wrapped them around the egg, keeping it warm. She heard a knock at the door and went over to it as the egg started to quiver. Apple Jack stood at the entrance. "Hey, sugar cube! Just wanted to tell ya that the buffet was open for business."

"Oh! Uhm, I'll be right down," she replied, closing the door on a puzzled Earth Pony. Flutter Shy took one last look at the egg, making sure it was fine. Then she went out the door. As the door closed, the egg trembled and a crack appeared.

It was close, he could feel it in his bones. The Guardian was about to be reborn soon, just as the tablets and mural prophesied. And that brought a smile to his face as he watched the eggs quiver in the darkness of the cave he was in.

As the rest of the Mane Six ate their fill, Flutter Shy just poked around at her foot. She couldn't take her mind off of the egg she found at the tiny island. Pinky Pie came back with her fifth plate, filled with nothing but the items from the dessert line while the others were getting through their seconds and thirds. Twilight noticed Flutter Shy's loss of appetite and was a little concerned. "Hey, Flutter Shy, you ok?" The Pegasus looked up, surprised, and nodded.

"I'm fine, Twilight, just a little distracted."

"Oh, ok. You know that you can talk to us about anything, right?" Flutter Shy nodded again and continued to poke around at her food.

One of the eggs trembled and a crack formed. Something burst from the shell and a form slid from it. Small squeaks came from it, and he smiled. They've begun to hatch faster than he thought. Good, it means his plans will be put into motion faster. He looked up at the crevice to the opening of the cavern, and disappeared in a flash of light. Above the crevice, in the jungle, things were starting to return to a modicum of normalcy. The birds returned to their branches and the monkeys resumed their hooting and calling as the smaller ground animals came out of hiding. However, some of the more curious of the primates dared closer and closer to the giant scar in the earth under their trees. One of the monkeys peered into the void, and lost his footing. With a screech he fell in, sliding down the slope and finally to a halt at the floor of the cave. From the rim of the crevice, his comrades looked down, hooting and calling in alarm. Echoing hoots answered back. Then a pause followed by a new sound. A piercing screech followed as the birds took off from their branches once more and the monkeys retreated up the trunks. Below, the sounds cracking bones and tearing flesh could be heard, and sounds of cracking shells accompanied.

Entering her room, Flutter Shy first looked to her bed and saw the egg was gone. In its place were fragments of shell. Her breath catching, she floated over to the bed and looked it over. Pieces were on the pillows, sheets and covers, on the floorboards and even some on the night stand. She watched where she placed her hooves, making sure she didn't step on anything baby-shaped. She looked around for any sign of movement, turning this way and that. As she turned to the desk, a small shelled form poked out from under the bed. As Flutter Shy looked around on the floor around the bed and desk, she heard a small squeaking sound. She paused and turned to the bed. She saw a small green reptilian-shaped head from under it and crouched low with a soft smile. She picked it up with her hooves and sat on the bed. Its body and shell was like that of a turtle's save for its tooth-lined jaws and the small protuberances on either side of its lower jaws, like small tusks. But its eyes was what caught her attention. The irises were a soft shade of emerald, and there was a sense of innocence with an underlying intelligence beneath. Its body was a dark olive green, while the shell was a lighter color. It squeaked as she held it, almost happily and Flutter Shy giggled a bit. "Well, I wish you would have waited till I got back. Getting down from the bed must have been quite an adventure for you." The turtle squeaked in reply, making her giggle even more. A soft knock was heard at her door, and the Pegasus set it down gently. "Now don't move from here, please." The turtle squeaked in response as Flutter Shy walked to the door. She opened it and saw Twilight Sparkle standing in the doorway.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were really fine, Flutter Shy."

"Oh, uhm, well I'm doing ok. Just a little busy with something here." The turtle squeaked again and Twilight looked over Flutter Shy's shoulder to see the hatchling on her bed.

"What is that?" she asked, walking towards the turtle. She smiled at the baby seeing its soft emerald eyes. "Did you get him from the pet shop?"

"Uhm, not exactly," she replied. Twilight looked up at her.

"You found him?" Flutter Shy didn't answer.

"I found his egg on a tiny island not far from here. His parents were nowhere to be found and I…"

"It's ok, Flutter Shy. At least I know what was distracting you so much." She looked down at the turtle. "Do you know what kind of turtle he is?"

"Now that I think about it, no. I don't know of any kind of turtle like him. His shell is a most peculiar design, and he has teeth too."

"Is that strange?"

"Turtles don't have teeth," Flutter Shy replied. "And this design on his shell, like the plates are segmented, is peculiar for any turtle." Flutter Shy picked him up, turning him over onto his back on her hoof, which the turtle did not like and let out an indignant squeak in protest. "His shell on the bottom looks normal enough, his body is normal. Only the teeth and shell are strange."

"A new kind of turtle?" Twilight asked.

"Maybe." Flutter Shy set the turtle down onto the bed again and it plodded around on the covers. "We'll know more when we get back to Ponyville and I can visit the library and see if I can't find anything."

"If you ever need a research partner, you know that I'll always be happy to help," Twilight replied with a smile. Flutter Shy returned it with one of her own. "What did you decide to name him?"

"How about…Toto?"

"Cute name. It fits him perfectly." Twilight giggled as Flutter Shy picked up the turtle again and nuzzled him gently.

Returning to Ponyville, Rainbow Dash returned to Cloudsdale as evening saw the sun setting on the horizon. The rest of the Mane Six said their goodbyes and returned to their homes, Twilight Sparkle and Spike to her castle, Rarity to her fashion shop, Apple Jack to Sweet Apple Acres, Pinky Pie to Sweet Sugar Corner, and Flutter Shy returned home to her cottage at the edge of the forest. With her satchel over her shoulders, she floated up the door frame and plucked the key that rested there. She inserted it into the keyhole and opened the door. Closing the door and turning on the lights, Flutter Shy looked down to see a familiar looking rabbit with a bowl at his feet. "Hello, Angel," Flutter Shy said as she set the satchel down on the chair and picked up the food bowl. "I'll get you a little snack in a moment." From the satchel, the tiny turtle crawled out onto the seat of the chair. Looking down, the turtle turned around, keeping a solid grip on the cushion as he tried to lower himself onto the floor. His grip slipped and he fell onto the floor on his belly. Flutter Shy poked her head out from the kitchen, and gasped when she saw the turtle on the floor. "Toto!" she cried, floating to the turtle and kicking him up. "Are you ok?" she asked, turning him over and over. "You're just fine, but please, please be more careful. You're just a baby after all." She set him down on the floor gently and went back to the kitchen as Angel hopped to the newcomer, sizing him up and down. Much to his surprise, the turtle actually stood up on his hind legs to look at him right in the eyes. And instead of a squeak, the turtle let out a small growl as his emerald eyes became fiercer. Angel hopped back in surprise as Flutter Shy came out with a bowl of salad with cucumber, lettuce, carrots and tomatoes. She saw the rabbit backed against the wall in terror. "What's wrong, Angel?" she asked. The rabbit only trembled as Flutter Shy looked at the turtle, who was now back on all fours and had the big emerald eyes that would melt any heart. She looked from Angel to the turtle, puzzled, and set the bowl down in front of Angel. "Now, what to give you, Toto," she was going through her books on turtles and tortoises as the turtle got back on his hind legs. He looked around, and saw a pile of coal next to a stack of logs by the fire place. Driven by instinct, he walked to the pile of coal as Angle watched in mid-bite, his eyes followed as the turtle walked. Using his forelimbs, the turtle picked up a chunk of coal in his claws and took a bite out of it like a ripe fruit. The turtle finished the coal in another bite and took another lump, then another and another. Flutter Shy turned from her book when she heard the chomping noise and gasped when she saw the turtle on his hind legs, eating lumps of coal! "Toto!" she almost cried. The turtle paused, turned and saw Flutter Shy looking at him in shock. He fell onto his forelimbs, his expression going back to the big-eyed look. Flutter Shy floated over to him and picked him up in her forelimbs. "Eating coal can not be good for you." she said sternly. But then again, he is a new kind of turtle, who's to say what is and isn't good for him? Whatever the case, he let out a small yawn and nuzzled in Flutter Shy's forelimbs. "Well, I guess we can worry about this in the morning." She floated to the bedroom when she turned the lights out with Angel following close behind. The rabbit hopped onto the bed as Flutter Shy got under the covers as Angel got in his usual spot next to Flutter Shy, while she held the small turtle in his arms. As he drifted to sleep, the turtle dreamed of a time long ago, a place that was a paradise, and a promise to be kept.


	3. Growth Spurt

Gamera, Guardian of Equestria

Growth Spurt

Dawn broke out on the face of Ponyville. At the edge of the town, sunlight spilled into the windows of a bedroom in a modest cottage. The blonde Pegasus in bed rubbed her eyes with her hooves and yawned. She looked down and saw the rabbit Angel curled up next to her still asleep. She smiled and looked to her other side and saw something buried under the blankets. Pulling them back, she let out a surprised gasp: The baby turtle she took with her to bed was no longer little, but had grown to be almost as big as she was! His shell was a darker tone of green than his hide was, and the small protrusions on either side of his lower jaw became more prominent, actually looking like tusks. His fore and back paws had wicked-looking claws at the end of the digits, and his tail was longer and thicker. The ridges on his shell got more broad and edgier, almost like a razor as shell on his back began to overlap itself more. The turtle opened his eyes, and the big emeralds looked up at her in drowsiness before closing again. Even Angel seemed shocked at this, ducking back under the covers at the sight of the turtle. Flutter shy hovered out of bed with Angel right behind as the turtle continued to sleep, his snores audible as the Pegasus closed the door behind her. "I guess we'll just let him sleep in for now," she said with a nervous laugh. She was still coming to grips that he had a major growth spurt like that, and she still didn't know what kind of turtle he was. What kind of turtle eats coal and grows from a few inches to almost the size of a pony in one night? She went through her books again and still found nothing. She got Angel's breakfast fruit salad ready as she got one for herself and went through her books once more. As she turned the pages, she thought she heard a thump coming from her room, and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw the turtle in the doorway, standing on his hind legs. She left the door open for him a crack in case he wanted to get up, and as he looked around, Flutter Shy let out a frightened yelp at him. The sound caught the turtle's attention and she looked right at her with his big emerald eyes that always seemed to melt her heart and made her fear dissipate like smoke. She floated over to the turtle and landed. His head almost came up to hers, his eyes barely looking up at her. "How are you this morning, Toto?" she asked. As if to answer, the turtle gave a small grunt and looked to the fireplace, seeing the mound of coal and pile of firewood. With his mouth open in an eager expression, the turtle plodded to the coal and wood. He gathered up an armful and began to take in lumps by the mouthful, making loud crunching noises as dust and powder fell from his jaws as he chewed and swallowed. Flutter Shy swallowed nervously as she watched. "Yes Toto, you, uhm, go ahead and help yourself. We have plenty of coal, don't we Angel?" The rabbit couldn't take his eyes off of the turtle as he gorged on the coal. Flutter Shy gulped again, deciding it best that she got some help.

Twilight was already up and about when she headed for the dining hall of her new castle. Opening the large double doors to the dining hall and seeing Spike already seated at the dining table with a bowl and muffins in front of him, she looked into the kitchen and what she saw hardly surprised her. "Well, well, dear Twilight. And here I thought you'd never wake up before your breakfast that I slaved and toiled for got ice-cold." Discord, the Draconequus, was wearing a chef's hat and apron as he came out with a bowl and tray and set it down on the table for Twilight Sparkle. She took her seat and tried a spoonful, spitting it out as she made a face.

"Discord, it tastes like mud!" she complained. Discord laughed.

"Sorry, old habits you know." He snapped his fingers and the contents of the bowl became oat porridge spiced with cinnamon, at least that's how it tasted. Owlowiscious, Twilight's pet owl, flew in from the window with a not in his beak. He landed on the table next to Twilight and dropped the letter in front of her. The Alicorn used her magic to pick up the letter and unfold it, reading its contents.

"Who's it from?" Spike asked.

"It's from Flutter Shy," Twilight replied. At the mention of her name, Discord teleported onto the table, taking the note into his claws.

"From my best friend?! What does she have to say?" Discord hummed as he read, and when Twilight tried to protest, he held up a claw to keep her quiet. "What?! Flutter Shy's in trouble?! We haven't a moment to lose!" As Discord was about to leave, Twilight used her magic to hold him in place.

"Will you please let me read my letter?!" she demanded. Twilight picked it up and read it. She got puzzled when it mentioned she had trouble with her pet turtle. "Well, looks like we're heading for Flutter Shy's."

"Which is where I was headed till you stopped me!" Discord replied, indignant.

"Why, what's wrong?" Spike asked.

"Looks like she's having problems with her new turtle."

"You mean the one she found at Manehattan?" he asked. On the train ride home, he remembered it being packed with the Mane Six trying to get a look at the new turtle that Flutter Shy found. His big eyes made them adore him, even Pinky Pie tried to pick him up and twirl around with him on the train. "How much trouble could one baby turtle be?"

"Let's find out."

Teleporting outside her door, Twilight opened it a crack before Discord burst in. "Fear not, Flutter Shy, for I, Discord, shall save you from the-what in the world!?" The first thing Discord saw was the large two-legged turtle that was eating coal turned to look at him, his mouth full of lumps. Twilight and Spike pushed past and were equally shocked at the sight of him.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" Flutter Shy said relieved, floating in front of them. "I seem to have a slight problem with Toto."

"I'll say," Spike replied.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, I just woke up and found him like this!" Flutter Shy replied, looking back at the turtle. He went back to his meal of coal, already having consumed more than half the pile.

"How long has he been eating coal?"

"Since we got home," Flutter Shy replied. Twilight watched the turtle, trying to remember if she read anything about turtles like this.

"We need to head back to where this started," Twilight reasoned. "Flutter Shy, can you remember where you found the egg?"

"Yes."

"Ok, Discord, you and Spike keep an eye on Toto. Flutter Shy and I will head back to Manehattan and try to find out more about him. Maybe if we went to where his egg was found, we'll know more about him."

"Leave it to us, Princess Twilight. We'll keep an eye on this little trouble-maker," Discord materialized a policeman's outfit and a jail cell around the turtle and coal. The turtle looked around, startled, and gripped the bars like a convict.

"Don't try to make him feel like a prisoner, Discord. He didn't do anything wrong." Flutter Shy replied.

"Oh, alright." Discord snapped his fingers and the cell vanished. "But I'm keeping my eye on you, punk. You're on probation." The turtle let out a puzzled grunt. Flutter Shy went over to him and placed a gentle hoof on him.

"You be good now, Toto. I'll be back soon." Twilight and Flutter Shy vanished in a flash of lavender as Twilight teleported them to Manehattan, leaving the baby dragon and Draconequus alone with the turtle. Already it gathered another armful of coal and began feasting.

"So uh, how long do you think that coal will last?" Spike asked. Discord looked down at him with raised eyebrows and an indignant look.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Well, what do we do when he runs out?"

"Now that is a good question," Discord replied, looking at the dwindling supply of coal that the tusked turtle was consuming.

It didn't take long for them to find the little outcropping of rock and brush of the shoreline. Landing on it, both Pegasus and Alicorn went to the spot where the egg was found. "You're sure it was here?" she asked.

"I'm positive," she replied. "Maybe it washed up from the sea."

"Only one way to find out," Twilight replied. She formed a bubble of lavender energy around them and walked to the edge of the atoll as Flutter Shy was being pushed by the bubble. Both went into the water and Flutter Shy let out a frightened yelp as water washed over them. "Don't worry, the bubble with keep the water out, and give us air to breathe."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Twilight assured her with a smile. They went further and further down into the depths. Fish and other sea life swam past them as they went further and further down into the depths, bright and colorful in a sea of blue. However, the deeper they went, the less bright everything got. Deeper and deeper still, till is seemed like light did not exist at all, aside from the glow given off of the force field. Then, a soft orange light came from the bottom, and it kept growing and growing till became a bright light. Touching the bottom of the ocean, where the deep dwellers like crabs, shrimp and grotesque fish swam out of their way. They saw the light came from a rent in the ocean floor, like a wound cut right into the earth. In the rent was the source of the glow; magma boiled and flowed like the blood of the earth itself.

"Is this where he came from?" Flutter Shy asked

"Looks like it. Remember what happened a little while ago, that earthquake that hit here less than a week ago? Maybe it started here, and it let the egg go."

"But that would mean that Toto was born from lava…wouldn't it?"

"I don't know, Flutter Shy. I just don't know." And in one of the few times in her life, as she gazed into the magma, Twilight really did not know.

Pinky Pie hopped down the road to Flutter Shy's house. After getting home, she could not get her mind off of the cute little turtle with the gorgeous green eyes. Bouncing up to the door she gave it a light knock, waited for a moment before knocking it again. "Just one minute," came a voice from inside. The door opened and Spike looked up at Pinky Pie nervously. "Oh, hi Pinky."

"Hey Spike, are you here to see the cute widdle turtle too?" she asked, a broad smile on her face as she looked around, hoping to see the little reptile. Spike looked even more apprehensive.

"Well, uhm, it's kinda because of him that…"

"Ooh, where is he? I just wanna squeeze him!" Pinky Pie pushed past the baby dragon and stopped and let out a gasp. The house was a wreck; furniture, personal items, dishes, and other objects laid strewn about the floor of the house either in pieces or even smaller pieces. And at the far end of the cottage was a very large hole, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. A small white rabbit poked his head from beneath a pile of rubble and hopped out of hiding, looking around. Pinky Pie just stood stock still, shocked. "I…I don't believe this…"

"I know, it was horrible and…"

"I'll say it was horrible! Someone threw a really great party here and no one thought to invite me!" Pinky Pie looked peeved and shook her hoof. "Well I'll not take it. Whenever a party goes on, Pinky Pie is ALWAYS the first one who hears about it!"

"Pinky, it's not what you think!" Spike stood in front of her.

"Tell me who it was, Spike! Tell me who threw this soiree and I'll show them how to throw a party!"

"No one threw a party here!" Discord popped into the room, looking worried.

"I couldn't find him outside or in the woods, did he come back?" Pinky Pie took one look at the Draconequus and furrowed her brow.

"So, it was you!" She pointed an accusing hoof at discord. "You threw the party that destroyed Flutter Shy's house and had the nerve, the audacity, to not invite me!"

"Oh yes, you just got here, didn't you? You need to be brought up to speed."

"She isn't the only one!" a voice demanded. Standing in the doorway was a very disapproving Twilight and a mortified Flutter Shy. The blonde Pegasus flew in with a shriek, floating over the floor.

"My house, my dishes, my furniture, my books, my things…what did this?!" She looked to Discord with tear-filled eyes.

"Toto did this," Spike said. All eyes were on him. "It's what I was trying to tell you, Pinky Pie. No one threw a party here, Toto went crazy and tore apart the house before making that and escaping!" Spike pointed to the large hole torn in the side of the house.

"No way! Cute widdle turtles don't tear apart houses like this!"

"He wasn't so cute, especially after he ate all the coal he could get his claws on."

"He ate all of the coal?" Twilight asked, going to where the coal pile was. All that was left was just the residual dust and powder from the lumps. "And he did all of this? Why didn't you just use your magic to make more coal?" she asked Discord.

"Well I did, and it kept him busy for a while, and then he just went mad, tore the house apart and burst through the wall!" Discord replied defensively. Twilight looked at the floor and saw a lump of coal was left. She picked it up, examining it. "That's one of the lumps I made." The Alicorn used her magic to burn it, and it burned like regular coal. She used her magic to douse it and turned to the group.

"We need to find Toto and fast. If he could do this to a house, I hate to think what he could do to Ponyville."

"But we don't know where he went. Discord went out and couldn't find him."

"And I'm sure he was looking really hard too," Twilight replied to Spike.

"Humph! Well excuse me for trying to help!" Discord replied with an insulted air.

"It's ok, we appreciate your help," Flutter Shy quickly added, floating next to the Draconequus. Discord smiled at her.

"Why, thank you Flutter Shy. It's so nice to know I have at least one friend here."

"Regardless, we need to get out there and find that turtle! I'll get the rest of the Mane Six, you guys look again, and this time look carefully." The group separated as Twilight left to get the others and the rest went out the gaping hole in the wall.

He fed on the life-giving substance, but it's not enough. He needs something else now, something more life-giving. As he wandered about aimlessly, small moving things scurried away from him. He could feel the life in them, the manna. He grabbed one of them, a long-eared rabbit, in his claws, and felt the manna flowing through its body. Its life was small, but it would do for now. But, just as he was about to give the killing blow, something halted his claws. A promise made, a duty to perform, a charge to be taken. He lowered the rabbit to the ground, and let it go. It bounded away as though its life depended on it. Memories from the past, from so long ago, began to surface. And with that, the turtle turned further into the forest and headed towards the nearest source of manna. Just what this source of life is, he does not know, but he feels he will know when he sees it.

Flutter Shy and Rainbow Dash flew overhead the forest as the rest of the group trekked through the forest. "Oh dear, are you sure that adorable little turtle did all of that?" Rarity asked.

"Pretty sure, Rarity. It was like an earthquake had hit, while a tornado raged inside, right Spike?" Twilight asked, but the little dragon was focused on the white Unicorn and looked up at her, snapping out of his daze.

"Uh, yeah. Tornado. Exactly!" Twilight sighed and pressed on.

"Ya'll sure this is where that varmint of yours went, right?" Apple Jack asked.

"This is where he would head from the house," Twilight reasoned.

"And how do we know that Discord even looked for him out here?" Apple Jack argued. "For all we know, he could have caused that mess."

"Because Spike was there, and I don't think he'd do this, not anymore." Twilight replied. Apple Jack scoffed.

"If you say so." A sound was heard through the forest, like the cry of an animal. The Mane Six stopped in their tracks as Flutter Shy and Rainbow Dash came down to earth. "What in tarnation was that?"

"A…manticore maybe," Flutter Shy said.

"Or maybe a dragon," Spike added. The sound pierced the air again, closer this time. The trees shuddered and the earth trembled, and suddenly something burst through the trunks of the trees. A lion's body, a scorpion's tail, a very large manticore stood before them. The mythical beast roared at them, raising a paw with dagger-like claws at them. Flutter Shy, having perfected her infamous stare that could subdue any beast, was getting ready to employ her secret weapon when a new cry rented the air. The trees behind fell as a large shape lumbered towards them. The ponies stared in awe at the massive frame of the bipedal turtle looming before them. He had grown since this morning, more than tripling in size after feeding on the coal. His tusks had grown, his frame bulkier, his shell more broad and paws turned into hands that could crush stone with bony, blade-like claws at the end of each digit. The manticore took one look at the larger terrapin and hesitated, unsure at how to process the change in events. The ponies just looked up in surprise and shock, unaware of the manticore looking from the turtle to then smaller tidbits. It lunged, and the terrapin fell forward. The Mane Six ducked and covered, but felt nothing. Flutter Shy looked up and saw the terrapin was above them on his hands and knees. The manticore landed on the shell, its claws scraping against the armor-like plates. With a mighty heave, the terrapin lifted himself and flung the manticore off and into the woods. The mythical beast bounded away and the turtle stood up on his hind legs again, watching it retreat. It looked down at the ponies with the same big green eyes as before. While the others stood in shock, it was Flutter Shy who took to the air. Floating to his eye level she smiled at him.

"Toto!" she called, and the turtle answered with a small grunt of recognition. He looked down at the other ponies, then away as he turned and walked off. Flutter Shy tried to follow, stopping in front of him. "Where are you going? Come back with me!" Still the turtle walked on past her. The blonde Pegasus fell to the forest floor, confused and hurt. "Why did he leave?"

"He's not a baby anymore, Flutter Shy," Twilight replied, going up to her friend. "I know you've only known him for a day, but you have to let him go."

"I know, I just wished that it wasn't so soon…" Twilight wrapped a wing around the Pegasus's shoulders as they watched the turtle move on, his footsteps making the earth tremble. Spike heard a sound, and turned to see Pinky Pie sniffling.

"They just grow up so fast, and you just hope you raised them right, *sniffle*." Rarity handed her a hankie, and Pinky Pie blew into it before giving it back. The white Unicorn winced in disgust at the sight of the cloth and used her magic to put it in her pack.

They were growing so fast. Soon, the jungle would be silent of all sounds and be a boneyard. If that happened, they would soon turn on each other till only one remained. Good, such should be the order of things. He knew the nature of the creations of so long ago, and he knew how to control them. As night descended on the jungle, new cries were heard as winged forms took to the air and raided the canopies and floor for life.


	4. Trial by Fire

Gamera, Guardian of Equestria

Trial by Fire

Days turned into weeks since Toto left the lives of the Mane Six, and Flutter Shy was a little less forlorn with each passing day. She asked her woodland friends to keep a lookout for anything as large as he was, but so far all they had found was something big was moving towards the direction of Valley of Dragons; a chain of volcanoes that keeps the area molten and desolate, and a perfect breeding ground for dragons that use the heat from the magma to hatch their eggs. This time of year, they should be heading back to create their nests, however Flutter Shy would like to remain as far away as possible from the valley. As the Pegasus looked outside her window, she could see the winged shapes heading for the valley, and a shudder went down her spine. She was always afraid of dragons, despite one of her close friends being one himself. Even so, she felt the similar kind of fear when she saw Toto in the forest, when he saved her and her friends from the Manticore. And all this time, Twilight had been searching for anything on what Toto might be.

"Nothing! Not a single word on fire-breathing turtles or fire-eating tortoises anywhere!" Books laid strewn about the vast library as Twilight flew amongst the shelves, pulling book after book, flipping through the pages and then tossing them aside. Spike came in, seeing the mess and sighed. The Alicorn looked down at Spike, fluttering to his level. "There's nothing here at all!"

"Well, wouldn't be the first time," Spike mumbled.

"You'd think there'd be something about fire-breathing monsters! We have books on dragons, chimaeras, and other beasts that breathe fire, so why not this?!" Twilight flung herself back onto the pile of books, a frustrated groan escaping her throat.

"Well, why don't we ask Princess Celestia or Luna?" Spike asked. "I'm pretty sure they would know something."

"What if they don't?"

"You'd have at least tried." Twilight looked up at Spike, then picked herself up.

"You have a point. Spike, take a letter," Spike pulled out a quill and parchment that he keeps stored, just in case, and started to pen down Twilight's words: "Dear Princess Celestia. My friend, Flutter Shy, found something very peculiar. A kind of turtle that eats coal and grows with each feeding. I have searched all over the library here in my castle and could not find anything on it. As I said, it's a turtle that eats coal, keeps growing, has tusks on its lower jaw, and emerald eyes. Please, any information you have will be most appreciative." Twilight looked back at her protégé. "I think it would be best if she doesn't know that it tore down half of Flutter Shy's house,"

"Way ahead of ya, Twilight." Spike tossed the note in the air and breathed green fire at it, incinerating it as it was sent to Celestia. "So now what?"

"Well, the dragon migration is starting again, why don't we go and watch?"

"After what happened last time?!" Spike asked. When the dragons migrated last time, Spike followed after them in an attempt to belong with his own kind. What happened was his being coerced into raiding a phoenix's nest and steal an egg, almost smashing it to prove himself to the gang of dragons he joined, but he stopped himself when he realized, at one point, he was just like that egg, and he stood up to the gang. Fortunately, he was saved by his friends, and now raises the phoenix as a pet.

"I'm sure you won't run into the same dragons again, Spike. Those guys are long-gone by now."

"Why are we at this dump?" A purple-scaled dragon with hair over his eyes asked. By dragons' standards, he was only an adolescent, same as his two companions, one of which was a heavier, dark-toned dragon with protruding horns on either side of his head and small wings. The other, a bright red with yellow spines going down his back, looked over the edge of the cliff. Behind them laid the Valley of Dragons, yet before him, laid the Evergreen Forest, and Ponyville beyond.

"Because we have an old score to settle, boys," the red replied, looking back at his two friends. "I heard from the older dragons that that wimp Spike and his pony pals live in a place called Ponyville, and it's just ahead of us!"

"So what?" the purple asked.

"So what? Doesn't it make you mad that a baby dragon and his pony friends made us look like morons, Deek?" the red replied.

"Well, sure Garble, but…"

"And what about you, Turk?" Garble turned to the heavy dragon. "You're one of the toughest dragons I know! Don't you want to get even with those wusses?!" Garble smacked a fist against an open claw, his visage wearing a dangerous grin.

"You know I do, Garble," Turk replied. "But I also heard they're friends with Princess Celestia, and one of them is a princess as well!"

"So what?" Garble asked. "We're dragons! We're tougher than those ponies could ever be! Besides, we're not going to go to Ponyville right away."

"We're not?" Deek asked.

"No. We're going to have a little fun first."

As Rainbow Dash flew over the forest, she caught sight of the Valley of Dragons coming up. She was always stoked about the Dragon Migration, and hearing that they would be migrating near Cloudsdale had made it all but irresistible for her. However, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the black column of smoke coming from the edge of the forest. She stopped, turning in its direction. "What the heck is that?" she wondered, flying towards it. Getting closer, she could see three forms circling the smoke column, and at the base angry flames licked upwards, as if trying to hit the fliers. Closer still, and she recognized the forms as dragons, and she could hear what they were saying.

"Alright, that should keep the blaze going!" a red one stated, hovering over the flames.

"Yeah, feels good use our fire on something other than belching contests!" a purple one replied.

"Still wish those ponies were here to see their precious forest burn down, with them in it!" the third replied, laughing. The other two joined him.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted, getting their attention. Garble smiled broadly.

"Well, well, well. It's one of those ponies."

"Not just any pony," Deek replied. "She was one of the ponies who made us look stupid!"

"Yeah! And her friends too!" Turk added, flying upwards towards his friends.

"You guys again?" Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't need any help to look stupid, you did that on your own!" Garble growled in his throat and lunged at the Pegasus, who deftly flew out of the dragon's way as he rocketed towards the forest floor, only barely pulling out of his fall and upwards into the sky. Rainbow stuck her tongue out at the dragon as the other two rushed towards her, just barely missing her as she moved out of the way at the last second. "Wow, you guys are stupid. You can't even fly right!" Rainbow Dash taunted, laughing. Garble growled in frustration, letting a bellow of flame launch itself from his maw. Rainbow stopped laughing in time to see the flames coming right at her. With a gasp, she flew under the column and around, flying right over the dragons and way from them. However, as she flew back towards Ponyville, she was unaware of the trio flying just beneath her, and was shocked when Garble pulled up in front of her, and was flanked on either side by Deek and Turk.

"Now!" All three dragons rushed at Rainbow Dash, who flew upwards and away from the dragons, only to see Garble fly upwards towards her, and then hovered just above her. She gasped just in time for Garble to swipe at her, knocking her out of the sky as the dragons followed after her. She regained her senses just as she made contact with the forest canopy, crashing through the branches and towards the forest floor. She was able to slow her descent and touched down on the forest floor. She breathed a sigh of relief, and then felt something really heavy fall on her, making her black out for a second. When she came two, she looked about and saw the purple and olive-skinned dragons held her by her wings. She struggled against them, but could not break free. From the shadow of the trees, Garble walked towards her, a sinister smile on his snout. He walked up to the Pegasus, and then bent forward she he could look her in the eye. "Where are your friends?" he asked plainly.

"Bite me!" Rainbow replied. Quick as lightning, Garble lunged forward and clamped his jaws on her left wing. Rainbow Dash yelled in pain and Turk barely got his claws out of Garble's way.

"Hey, watch it!" the dragon replied, making sure he had all his digits. Garble pulled back quickly, leaving a wicked bruise on Rainbow Dash's wing. Turk grabbed it again, making the Pegasus wince in pain as he did so.

"The next one will make sure that you'll never fly again!" Garble threatened. A defiant look in her eye, Rainbow glared up at the dragon.

"You're gonna regret this! When I break out of here, me and my friends are gonna show you what it means to mess with us!" Garble's smile got broader.

"That's what I'm counting on," he replied, straightening back up and pacing in front of the helpless pony. "Once we get your friends here, _we_ are going to make _you_ regret what you did to us!" Deek and Turk smiled deviously as Garble went on. "We're going to make that cry-baby Spike wish he staid in his egg, and you guys are gonna wish you minded your own business, when we get done with you. And _you're_ going to help us by bringing your friends here!"

"As if! Like I'm really going to help you guys."

"You will, when you scream loud enough," Garble replied, grabbing the bruised area of Rainbow's wing and squeezing it, making her cry out in pain.

"What was that?" Twilight asked, raising her head up.

"What was what?" Spike asked. Flutter Shy, Rarity, Apple Jack and Pinky Pie also stopped in their tracks when Twilight did. After gathering the Mane Six to head towards the Dragon Migration, despite heavy protests from both Spike and Flutter Shy, Rainbow Dash went on ahead to be the first one there, and scout the area to see if it was safe for the rest of the Mane Six.

"I know I heard something."

"I don't hear anything," Rarity replied. Twilight took another two steps before stopping, raising her head up again and straining her ears.

"There it is again!" Apple Jack walked up next to Twilight and perked her ears up, and heard it, a faint sound far away, but it definitely sounded like Rainbow Dash.

"Ah hear it too. Come on, everypony! Sounds like Rainbow's in a bind!" With that, the Mane Six galloped as fast as they could with Spike riding on Twilight. As they galloped, the sounds became more pronounced, and they definitely sounded like screaming.

The screams woke him up from his sleep. He dreamt of another time, another place. But this was no dream, the screams he heard now were real, and they were close.

"Dude, I'm not sure about this," Deek said as Garble grabbed Rainbow's other wing and began to twist. The other one was almost mangled out of shape and covered in scrapes and deep cuts. Rainbow's light-blue hide and rainbow-colored mane was matted with sweat and her breaths came in and out raggedly. When Garble applied a crushing squeeze on Twilight's other wing, the Pegasus let out a choked cry before almost falling to her knees, but she still kept standing, refusing to give in.

"Won't be long now," Garble replied with a sadistic smirk on his snout, his fangs almost parted in a smile. He squeezed harder and harder, making the blue Pegasus wince and buckle, falling to her knees as tears of pain fell from her face and onto the forest floor.

"HEY!" Garble whirled and saw the lavender Alicorn standing before him, the rest of the Mane Six coming up, and one look told her everything. Garble smiled broadly, turning to face the Alicorn.

"Well, well, well. Look what the Manticore dragged in." The other dragons looked up as they released the tortured Pegasus, and it was all Rainbow Dash could do to look up and see her friends, even wearing a weakened smile. "I was wondering when you would show up!" Garble reached down and picked up Rainbow Dash, holding her in front of him so the Mane Six can see. "Now I get to do this to you!" He tossed the Pegasus towards them, landing just a couple of feet from them. The Mane Six looked down in shock, seeing their friend mangled and tormented in such a way. Twilight looked up, her shock turning to rage.

"How dare you!" she shouted. Garble laughed.

"How dare us? We're dragons! We dare anything!" Deek and Turk joined in his laughter. Garble saw Spike on Twilight's back as the baby dragon got off of the Alicorn to face the older dragons. "Hey, Spike. Long time no see! Now we're going to show you what it means to be a dragon, starting by taking your friends apart, hoof by hoof!"

"If being a dragon means being mean to others for no reason, then I'm proud to call myself a pony!" Spike retorted.

"And we'll treat you just like one, you little whimp!"

"And you two are also responsible for the forest fire we saw coming in here?" Flutter Shy asked, stepping towards them.

"So what?" Garble asked.

"So what?! Do you know how many innocent animals you've hurt and left homeless because of what you've done?!"

"What do we care about stupid animals?!" Garble asked. All the while, Rarity and Apple Jack walked towards the limp Pegasus and brought her back to the Mane Six. Seeing her safe behind them, Twilight turned to tend to her friend while the dragons began to advance on them. The Alicorn's horn glowed, and a soft, soothing light flowed from her horn and onto the Pegasus. Rainbow felt the pain turn numb, then a warm, then she felt feeling return to her mangled wing and she was able to move it again. When the glow died, all her wounds were healed. Twilight looked down at her handiwork, and smiled.

"Twilight,"

"It's alright, Rainbow Dash. You don't need to say anything." All the while, Garble began hurling insults at the ponies as Apple Jack, Pinky Pie, and Rarity stood up next to Flutter Shy. Even Spike stood next to his friends.

"You made us look bad last time, ponies! But this time, we're gonna make you DEAD!" Garble inhaled deeply, then exhaled a large stream of fire. Her horn glowing, Twilight created a lavender-hued force field around herself and her friends, the flames harmlessly repelled off of the bubble. Deek and Turk added their own fire, but the force field held strong. From behind, Rainbow Dash flew out and started to rapidly fly around the three dragons, creating a multicolored cyclone that carried the three dragons into the air and launched them into the sky. However, they were able to right themselves in mid air and dive straight down towards the ponies, launching fireballs at them. This time, Rarity added her magic to Twilight's strengthening the force field as the dragons made strafing runs. Flutter Shy and Rainbow Dash flew out of the way of the fireballs, hiding among the trees as the forest floor around them became scorched and aflame as the fireballs that missed struck the trees, grass and brush around them, creating another forest fire as the one that was started before, started to come upon them as smoke began to fill the area. The dragons flew upwards, past the canopy and into the air, watching the fire forming a ring around the ponies as the other fire burned its way towards them. On the forest floor, the air was becoming thick with smoke, practically choking the life out of the air. However, the shield was able to keep the smoke and flames out, but that would last only a little while as the fire leached the air of life around them, billowing smoke in its place.

"Sugar cube, ah don't think we'll be able to last much longer," Apple Jack commented, looking around her and seeing the fire rage. "Aren't there any spells you know that can put this fire out?!"

"One, maybe, but I need to keep the shield up! Look!" The three dragons began their strafing runs again, diving down and launching fireballs at them. The shield held, but it didn't really help their situation much. She could try to teleport herself and her friends away, but then the dragons would be free to burn down the forest, and who knows what all they would do afterwards. She looked up and saw Rainbow Dash and Flutter Shy flying above the forest. At least they were safe. Then Rainbow Dash dove down, and struck one of the dragons, knocking him to the ground. The purple-scaled dragon rubbed his head and looked up to the blue Pegasus flying away. With a growl, Deek launched himself upward, flapping his wings as fast as he could to rejoin his gang.

Up above, Rainbow Dash was joined by Flutter Shy, who looked all around her and saw the first fire heading towards her friends.

"Rainbow Dash, the fire's getting closer!"

"What?" The blue Pegasus looked and saw the flames of the first fire heading right for them. "Great! Now we gotta deal with this, too!"

"Can't you just make some rain clouds?"

"I'll try!" Rainbow Dash flew higher into the sky, flying around the clouds and herding them together to form a larger, heavier cloud over the fire surrounding her friends. Once it was dark and heavy enough, Rainbow Dash gave it a swift kick, making it pour over the spot where her friends were. The downpour started to put the flames out, but the dragons, who looked up when they felt the first drops of rain, restarted the fires, despite the dampness of the forest floor. Their dragon-fire dried and burned the vegetation, and kept it going. Garble, looking up and seeing the two Pegasus, flew up and towards them while Deek and Turk continued to burn away the forest. As Rainbow Dash gathered more clouds, Garble came up from behind, and struck the blue Pegasus out of the air with a swat of his tail. The Pegasus righted herself back up in time to see the dragon hurdle towards her. She barely made it out of the way in time and flew upwards towards the growing storm cloud. She kicked it again, causing a bigger downpour. Garble flew up from the canopy, knocking Flutter Shy out of his way and grabbing Rainbow Dash. He looked down at the Pegasus he had captured, his grip tightening.

"This time, I'm gonna hurt you so bad, not even your princess friend can help you!" Flutter Shy, keeping herself afloat, rubbed her aching head with her hoof and looked up to see Garble nearly strangling Rainbow Dash. Flapping her wings as hard as she could, she propelled herself forward, and struck Garble, actually making him release Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus flew away from the dragon while Garble whirled around angrily, making the blonde Pegasus feel very afraid, especially as he loomed over her. However, as he raised a clawed fist above his skull to strike her down, a new sound tore through the air, one that rose above the crackling fire and sharp thunder. Twilight, Garble, and Rainbow Dash looked down and saw trees starting to tremble and shake as something, something _big_ , made its way towards the Mane Six.

The ground shook beneath their hooves, and the air was rented again as the noise got closer. The trees trembled as well, then finally bent and gave way as a massive form pushed its way through. It was almost as tall as the trees around it, and its feet left deep impressions in the forest floor. Its shape was rounded, while its limbs were thick, but it was the head that reminded Twilight of a creature that she had seen before. An angular, reptilian head with tusks on either side of its lower jaw. Toto had grown since they last saw him. Even the dragons took notice and stopped. Up above, both Pegasus and dragon flew closer to get a better look. It was Rainbow Dash who smiled at the thought, while Flutter Shy looked on in awe. "Toto," she whispered.

"Wh-what is that thing?" Deek asked, flying up higher away from the turtle as it surveyed the area. The fire still burned, despite the efforts of the storm cloud.

"I don't know, let's get the heck out of here!" Turk replied. However, Garble flew in front of them, stopping them in their path.

"We're not going anywhere!"

"But-but Garble! That thing…"

"So what? It's just a big, dumb old turtle!" Garble replied. "We still have the ponies to take care of!"

"With that thing? You're crazy!" Turk replied. Garble grabbed Turk and pulled him close.

"Either help me take down those ponies, or you won't be going back at all!" On the ground, the giant terrapin looked down and saw the lavender bubble through the smoke. As he got down on all fours to get a better look, he looked up and saw Flutter Shy coming down towards him, calling the name she gave him. Toto stood back up on his hind legs. From the ground, the rest of the Mane Six recognized the turtle as well. Only, he was about three times as large when they last saw him, and his skin was darker, almost matching his shell. His shell itself looked as though it were made of the hardest iron, and could repel anything thrown at it.

" _That's_ Toto?" Apple Jack asked.

"Talk about your growth-spurts!" Spike replied. Twilight and Rarity still held the shield in place, but sustaining it was beginning to tax them. Their breathing came in raggedly, and they seemed physically tired. From the ground, the Mane Six saw Flutter Shy point at them, and the terrapin looked down at them. He reached for them with both clawed hands open. The Mane Six seemed to back away in fear, especially as the hands closed around them. However, the shield held, even as it felt like they were being lifted off the ground. One hand uncovered the top of the shield, and the Mane Six looked and saw that they were indeed up in the air, for the terrapin held them in his giant hands! Following Flutter Shy, the turtle carried the ponies to a mountain, away from the fire. The flames licked upward, but the terrapin didn't seem to mind. From above, the dragons began to dive towards the group. They fired their fireballs, but the ones that struck his shell were only repelled, just like the ones fired at the force field. However, the ones lucky enough to strike his flesh made him wince and groan, but he did not falter or stop. The dragons turned and flew directly at the turtle, shooting their fireballs at his head and face this time. The terrapin tucked his head down as the fireballs struck him in the chest and head. He stopped, and took the brunt of the fireballs, some striking the shield but not damaging it. Once the barrage ended, the turtle resumed his march towards the mountain. Reaching the mountain, he set the bubble on a cliff, and turned back to face the fire. The first fire already reached the second, and the storm cloud above was starting to dissipate. The flames started to consume the tree tops as well, some of them starting to fall over as animals tried like mad to escape the inferno. The turtle stepped forward towards the inferno, then plodded towards it. Flutter Shy, seeing the turtle walking towards its apparent death, flew up and in front of him.

"Toto, no! You'll be killed in there!" The turtle walked past, ignoring the Pegasus. Only one thing drove the terrapin, now; something from long ago, a memory from an age long forgotten, till now. He made his way to the heart of the fire, the flames dancing and leaping up at him as if in greeting. He fell to his hands and knees into the ground as the flames surrounded him, obscuring him from view as Flutter Shy tried desperately to fly to him, only to be stopped by Rainbow Dash who held her back. The turtle closed his eyes as he felt himself become drowsy, the memory coming back in full force: A shining place with grand structures, beings that looked much like the ponies he knows now, and a single phrase that echoes in his mind like thunder. _"Gamera, the manna is life."_ And all was silent as he drifted away. As Flutter Shy looked on, tears in her eyes, she reached out to where the turtle lied. However, the rest of the Mane Six saw something as the dragons flew overhead. The flames seemed to bellow around the spot where the turtle lied down.

"What's going on?" Spike asked. The flames then swirled around, and went into the inert turtle, his body swelling and glowing brightly. More flames swirled round and into him, till the forest blaze was less than half its size. The terrapin's eyes opened, and stood back up, a new roar renting the sky. The fires died down and he stopped glowing, his body changed. He was now bigger than the trees, his limbs thicker than the oldest trees, and his shell looks like it was carved out of a mountain as the plates overlapped one another. His tusks were now long and broad, looking like swords, and his eyes were like emerald flames. The Mane Six looked on in awe as the newly evolved terrapin thrust his head into the sky and roared aloud once more, his voice carrying far and wide.

"Is that…Toto?" Twilight asked.

"Well I'll say one thing. He's definitely not a baby anymore," Rarity replied. The giant turtle turned and faced the Mane Six, walking towards them as Flutter Shy floated over to him From above, the dragons looked on in shock, not sure on how to process the sudden change. However, it was Garble who acted. Growling, he dove downwards, towards the blonde Pegasus. However, the great terrapin took the Pegasus into his giant hand gently and held her close as the dragon's flames tried to burn him. However, the turtle finally remembered. He remembered everything, including the secret of the manna, the life of the earth itself! The flames were simply absorbed into his body, feeding him. The other dragons, fearing their leader, followed after him and fired as well, but the result was still the same, their flames were just absorbed. Still clutching the Pegasus, the great terrapin turned to face the aggressors, its maw open as flames of its own burned in the back of his throat. As they came in for another run, a great ball of fire launched itself from the turtle's maw and flew straight for the dragons. However, they veered away in time to avoid it as the ball of flaming death continued to fly till it struck a hill, exploding and blowing most of it away in a cloud of flame and debris.

"He breathes fire, too?!" Spike asked, astounded.

"Apparently," Rarity replied.

"It makes sense," Twilight said softly. "When he was younger, his diet consisted of coal, and probably dried wood and anything that was flammable. But now it looks like it moved on to fire itself." The dragons were taken aback by this, but Garble did not let up. He still pelted the turtle with fireballs, even some almost as large as the terrapin's palms. However, the turtle always answered back with gigantic fireballs of his own. However, the nimble dragons were able to evade the oncoming attacks with ease and flew higher and higher. That is where the turtle decided to use another secret weapon. From his leg sockets, billows of smoke blew out like jets, and obscured the view of the ponies. However, from the smoke cloud came the turtle, flying through the air like a rocket!

"And it flies?!" Spike asked, unable to take his eyes off of the flying turtle. Not even Twilight could respond to this, or any of the Mane Six as they just stared dumb-founded. Flying like a missile, the turtle rocketed towards the dragons, who were equally as surprised by the turn of events as the ponies, and barely reacted in time when the turtle was upon them. However, while it had greater speed, the turtle could not maneuver very well as it tried to turn around to face the young dragons. However, Garble took his chance and flew onto the back of the great terrapin, followed by his two friends. Sensing this, the turtle pulled his arms and head into his shell as well, and more jet flames erupted out of his arm sockets. At this time, he began to rapidly spin, like a thrown discus. He spun so rapidly, the dragons lost their grip on him and went flying in all directions. When the dragons were off of him, the turtle stopped spinning around and dropped from the sky like a stone, only to fire his socket-jets again when he was just shy of hitting the ground, barely floating above the forest floor. He gently lowered himself onto the forest floor, extending his limbs once more and standing upright again. He turned to the cliff where he set the Mane Six down and walked towards them.

"Whoa, that was awesome!" Rainbow Dash commented, almost jumping into the air in excitement. "I've never seen anyone take on dragons like that!"

"We've never seen anything like Toto, period!" Rarity replied. "What kind of turtle eats and breathes fire, then flies around like a thrown Frisbee?!"

"Apparently this kind," Apple Jack replied. The turtle stopped just short of the cliff, where Flutter Shy walked up to the great terrapin. It looked like the turtle was going to say something, when something behind him flared up. All eyes were on the forest as it suddenly blazed up again. The firefight between the turtle and the dragons revived the forest fire, and it was heading right for the Mane Six! Turning to face the fire, the turtle squared himself between it and the ponies, and opened his maw and inhaled as deeply as he could. As he inhaled, the flames were sucked into his gullet like a giant vacuum. Despite this, the fire still raged towards them, even as the turtle waded through the dying embers that was left after he inhaled the flames. All around him, the forest burned, and he could see the small animals trying desperately to get away. A family of deer leaped over fallen trees, but were suddenly trapped by a burning log in their way. Just as the turtle tuned to face them, a lavender barrier formed around them and levitated them out of the vicinity. The turtle saw them land safely out of the fire's reach, and Twilight and her friends were on the ground, helping the animals escape; Rainbow Dash flew around areas that were aflame, creating a vacuum-like effect that robbed the air of oxygen and starved the fire, while Rarity and Twilight used their magic to put the flames out. Meanwhile, Apple Jack, Pinky Pie, and Flutter Shy were helping the animals escape the flames by either carrying them away of clearing the way for them. The turtle watched this, fascinated that these creatures would risk their lives for them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, and turned to see the dragons breathing fire where the flames were put out, restarting them and adding to the inferno. An angry growl rumbled in the turtle's throat, and lumbered towards them as fast as he could. Fortunately, the dragons were too caught up in what they were doing, they didn't notice the giant terrapin plodding towards them. He grabbed the nearest dragon he could get, which happened to be Garble, in his giant hand. He held the dragon tightly so that only his head stuck out. Before Garble could say anything, the turtle squeezed on the dragon, and made him belch forth fire that the turtle quickly consumed. As he squeezed tighter and tighter, the turtle's maw opened just a bit wider, till when he squeezed, no more flames came out. He gave it a couple more test squeezes, but now he was certain the dragon was all out of fire. He dropped the dragon onto the forest floor, satisfied that he would no longer be a threat, and turned to see the other two tucking tail and flying away as fast as they could. He would deal with them later, but first thing's first. He looked upon the raging firestorm, and knew that he couldn't suck in all the flames fast enough before they did more harm. There was only one thing left to do. He dropped to his hands and knees again, and like before, called the flames to him. The fire swirled around him, and then into him, filling his body. However, he would not stop until he consumed all of the flames, even if it meant he would burst! As the Mane Six herded the animals to safety, they noticed the flames were receding, then headed in the opposite direction, towards the turtle. As the flames flowed into him, the terrapin roared loudly, his body glowing as he felt like he was going to burst. He dug his claws into the charred soil and still took in more flames. He winced and groaned, and still took in more flames. He looked about, and saw that, miraculously, he had actually consumed all the fire. With a roar, he lifted himself back up onto his hind legs and belched forth a stream of fire into the air, his body gradually returning to its original color. He had just consumed an entire forest fire, and it took exactly that for him to remember who he really was. Flutter Shy floated up towards the terrapin, smiling broadly.

"You did it, Toto! You saved the forest!"

' _Flutter…Shy…'_ The Pegasus was taken aback by the new voice she heard, and she could have sworn it came from Toto. And she wasn't the only one who heard, or felt, the voice. _'Thank…you…'_

"Holy cow, he talks!" Spike said, pointing at him.

"A giant talking turtle. Well at least that's something close to being normal around here," Apple Jack replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Toto, you can…talk…"

' _Gamera…'_

"What?"

' _Name…My name is…Gamera…'_

"Gamera?"

" _I must…go now. I have to prepare to meet the Shadow. The Shadow of Evil."_ The turtle, Gamera, turned and walked towards the mountain range, towards the chain of volcanoes were would bathe in the ever-burning life blood of the planet itself, drawing more power from it.

"Wait, Toto, don't go again! Please!" This time, the turtle turned around and looked down at the Pegasus. He saw the tears in her eyes, and felt moved by them. He owed her his life. Gamera growled softly, and nudged towards the Pegasus.

" _Flutter Shy…"_ A small part on Gamera's plastron glowed and a speck of fire gently floated towards the Pegasus. It floated in front of her, and when she took it into her hoof, the glow died and the object was a comma-shaped piece of metal, with a hole going through it. _"Take it…"_ Flutter Shy looked up as Gamera raised his head and roared once more, continuing his trek towards the volcanoes.

"Do you feel it, sister?"

"Yes, I do." Luna stood by her sister Celestia in their castle in Canterlot, while the letter from Twilight laid on a table in front of them. "It can only mean one thing. Someone must have found the remaining eggs."

"And soon, possibly the greatest threat ever known will fall upon us."


End file.
